Your Cooperation is Appreciated
by DcDreamer
Summary: Kylo Ren returns from training oddly cooperative. Hux should have known the new found normalcy would not last.
Hux arrived on the bridge from his early morning rounds, the black shadow of Kylo Ren was already there waiting for him.

At this point the Knight's presence wasn't much of a shock or a nuisance. Since his return from training with Snoke, Kylo had taken to spending time on the bridge, joining Hux on his rounds of the ship, really just following Hux everywhere.

The initial days of this behavior were unbearable for the General. The Knight would appear outside of Hux's quarters moments before Hux stepped out to start his day and would not leave his side until Hux returned to his rooms. The entire ship was on edge as Ren followed Hux into portions of the ship he never bothered to travel to before. Hux thought, with great bitterness, that the Supreme Leader must have commanded Ren to observe him at all times, perhaps even to evaluate him. Though how anyone could expect an uneducated oaf of the likes of Ren to properly evaluate his performance was beyond Hux.

Time ticked by and the ship began to breathe again as the days passed without incident. Ren was a silent observer and soon Hux settled into a routine where he could pretend Ren was still off training with Snoke rather than standing a mere 3 inches behind him. Ren apparently learned Hux's schedule and silently began to drift in and out of his routine. He expressly avoided Hux's early morning rounds but always accompanied him on the bridge and to every meeting.

Hux could fathom why. In the two months since Ren had returned to the Finalizer the Knight had not left the ship even once. No missions, no interrogations, no mysterious Sith artifacts to hunt. Hux was beginning to suspect Ren spied on his work out of sheer _boredom_.

And so Hux spent his afternoon as usual, shuffling through files and forms on his datapad while Ren loomed behind him. A notification on the screen alerted him to prepare for his next meeting so he left the bridge in Mitaka's capable hands and swept out, Ren at his heels.

This meeting, like many others, involved senile old men who loved to bicker amongst themselves more than produce actual progress. Hux mentally left the conversation for a moment to reconsider his plan of attack and was therefore completely unprepared for the low drawl next to his ear.

"Do you not know who you are speaking to?"

Admiral Bascht gaped at Ren as though he had materialized out of thin air. "L-Lord Ren, I-"

"Do you not know who you are speaking to?" Ren repeated the question again, slowly and more dangerous than before.

"Lord Ren, Hux's demands are unreasonable-"

Hux saw it coming but could do nothing to prevent Ren from using the Force to choke Bascht. He watched, astonished, as Ren lifted the man from his chair seemingly without lifting a finger.

Ren was fully on his feet now, voice tight even through his decoder. "You would dare disrespect a General to the First Order, the master of this flagship, and the most trusted advisor to the Supreme Leader."

Bascht was purpling now and the sight of it snapped Hux out of his fascinated observation of Ren. He rose from his seat and placed a hand on Ren's shoulder.

"Lord Ren, that's enough."

Immediately, Ren released his hold on the Admiral.

Hux stepped back and addressed the officials, "I think that will be all for today. I advise you all reconsider your objections to my plans before our next meeting. Come along Ren."

Hux waited until they were three corridors away from the conference room before whirling back on Ren.

"What was that?"

The slight uneven posture of the Knight's shoulders and leftward glance of the mask told Hux that the man at least had the decency to feel guilty.

"Well, I'm waiting."

"He disrespected you."

"Yes, you already made that quite clear. A simple reprimand would have sufficed. There was no need for you to react in such a violent manner."

"There was."

Hux stifled his initial response and tried to sound as calm as possible. "Do tell."

"You may consider this to be only a trivial offense but trivial offenses are the ones most likely to repeat themselves. It is crucial to receive the fear and respect you deserve from high ranking officials so that those in the lower ranks will follow their example."

Hux peered at Ren with no small amount of suspicion. "Have you been reading Mesquita?"

Ren bristled under his gaze. "I was under the impression he authored one of your favorite books."

That hit Hux like a cold slap to his face. He could not begin to postulate how Ren had come upon that particular piece of personal information. He filed it away to think about it at a different time.

With a resigned sigh he asked, "Tell me, Lord Ren, do you enjoy reading?"

"I enjoy it more than these meetings."

Hux smiled.

Hux was working on a convoluted trade agreement, Ren reading at his side (Greene this time, his third book this week, Hux would report with no small amount of surprise and pride), when Lieutenant Hartax stepped forward. Hux continued with his work as though Hartax were not there. Sometimes, if you looked busy and ignored people, smart officers would know to stay out of your way.

Lieutenant Hartax was not a smart officer.

"General Hux, sir?"

He looked up then as though he previously hadn't noticed the older man's arrival. Ren did not stir at all. "Lieutenant Hartax, what is it?"

"The _Onodesa_ crew has some questions regarding your orders on base construction."

Hux frowned. He'd been fending off mundane questions from various officials all day and frankly it was starting to get the better of him. As much as he wanted to make Hartax disappear, he had assigned the crew a key role in the construction of their new base. He could not dismiss this. "Very well. What are your concerns?"

"We received a shipment of valiriu instead of the usual osaloci, General."

Hux blinked, "Yes, well, it had been decided that we would discontinue the use of osaloci in our last meeting. I am certain it was stated in my official report."

"Ah." Hartax muttered eloquently. "Well that still leaves the matter of the moving equipment. We are still waiting on them and cannot proceed without them."

Hux was losing his patience; this too, had been outlined in his-.

"Perhaps," a voice drawled from beside him. "Lieutenant Hartax thought it was unnecessary to read your reports, General Hux. Otherwise he would know that you devised a clever scaffolding and pulley system to move the building materials."

The bridge fell into an eerie silence. Hux would later swear that Ren's voice silenced even the consoles. Certain officials were staring in horror- so many of them mistakenly took Ren for a mere phantom now, incapable of speech.

Ren stood and began to circle around Hartax. "Well? Is it not so?"

"N-no, Lord Ren, I would never-"

Ren pushed his mask into the quivering man's face. "You would dare attempt to lie to a Knight of Ren?"

"Lord Ren, p-please, I only-"

"Do you know how many stupid questions the General has been asked today? You are in the presence of a destroyer of _worlds_ and you ask him about _moving materials_?"

Hartax was so stiff with fear he couldn't speak.

"I asked you a question. Do you not know who you are talking to? Do you not know what happens to those who oppose me and my General?"

Hartax dissolved into a blithering pile of sobs and apologies. Ren drew away in disgust.

The entire bridge was openly staring at the debacle now.

"Lieutenant Hartax," Ren growled, "the General is a busy man. Get out."

Hartax fled and Ren returned to his seat to resume his reading.

The bridge stared on for a few moments longer before Mitaka cleared his throat and the din of usual activities returned.

Hux couldn't stop staring at Ren before blurting out, "What? No dramatic use of the Force this time?"

Hux could practically see Ren roll his eyes behind the mask. "You told me not to react in such a violent manner."

"And so you did. That wasn't so hard was it?"

Ren gave an exasperated tilt of his helmet that Hux couldn't help but smile at.

"How did you know about my designs?"

Ren shrugged. "They were clearly explained in both your report on Starkiller II's progress and the instructions to the crew."

Hux fought to keep the disbelief from his face. "You read my reports? My orders?"

Ren gave another little shrug, "There was little else to do until recently." He said, gesturing to the book Hux lent him on his datapad. "And your work is… elegant. You place a lot of thought and effort into it for some idiot to ignore it."

Hux could hear the blood rushing in his ears from the absurdity of the situation, "Elegant," he breathed. "And you also said my designs were clever."

"Ingenious, really."

Hux didn't know how to respond to that so he turned back to the trade negotiations before him. He could feel the blood pumping through him now, pushed on by the surging adrenaline rush into places long untraveled. Hux swore he could feel every toe, every vein as he contemplated kissing Ren right there and then…

As he settled back into his work, he spoke quietly, so that only Ren could hear, "Thank you."

He felt Ren's eyes on him for some time after that.

They began having meals together, something Kylo would only participate in when done in Hux's quarters. The walk was longer than to the officer's mess hall but it was worth it to see Ren's expressions rather than trying to decipher them through the mask.

Ren was also much more chatty in Hux's quarters during their meals.

"Why do you do this?"

Unfortunately, Ren was very not skilled in the art of conversation. Hux looked up from his dinner in confusion, "Excuse me?"

"Why do you do what you do? Why do you command this ship?"

Hux was silent for a moment, dabbing his lips with a napkin before answering, "Because someone must. And the someone most suited for it happens to be me."

Ren nodded, face very young in the light of the stars from the viewport. After dwelling in the harsh lighting of the Finalizer all day, the soft lighting of space was something they both enjoyed.

"What about you?" Hux ventured to ask. "Why are you a Knight of Ren?"

Ren turned from the viewport to look at Hux with a small smile, "Because it is my destiny."

Hux couldn't help his scoff, "You don't honestly believe in that tripe known as fate, do you?"

At Ren's silence, Hux pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Oh hells, you _do_."

"You don't?"

Hux rested his head over steepled fingers and kept his eyes closed. "The thought of us as beings without free will is too cruel to behold."

"We have some free will." Ren murmured. "There are choices only we can make for ourselves. The Force merely strings together those choices into a culmination of our beings."

Hux could hear Ren shift about the space.

"I chose the Dark side. I also chose to be here among the First Order."

Hux opened his eyes to find Ren kneeling before him, looking up at him with those impossibly young, brown eyes.

He fought the urge to reach forward and plunge his hands into those dark curls. He almost wished Ren could read his thoughts so he could pull away, turn in disgust, anything to break the spell of those eyes. Hux murmured back to Ren and couldn't quite keep the yearning and wonder from his voice. "You are powerful, you could go anywhere and do anything. Why would you choose the First Order?"

 _Why do you choose to be here with me_?

Ren actually licked his lips before answering, voice barely above a whisper, "The Force sent me a vision."

This felt like another cold slap to Hux's face.

Ren continued regardless from his place at Hux's feet. "I was born with an affinity for both the Light and Dark sides of the Force. I chose the Dark side and it has made the strong. However, the Force's vision told me I could not achieve my true strength alone."

Hux nodded. "That's why you obey Snoke."

"No." Ren answered quickly. "The Force did not show Snoke to be the source of my true power."

Hux felt his mouth go dry. "Then who?"

Slowly Ren reached up and gingerly, tenderly, practically _adoringly_ took Hux's right hand in both of his.

"You. I could not comprehend how or why at first but I meditated on it while training with Snoke. The Force is wise in ways that I am not. It revealed to me that I can only achieve my true potential by your side."

Hux's blood ran cold as he pieced together Ren's recent actions with sudden clarity. Of course Ren would follow him around day and night because only an _idiot_ like Ren would take a vision from the Force _literally_. Ren was only here because he wanted power, to be more like his precious Vader.

Hux withdrew his hands and looked away. "Leave me."

And so Ren, with a tortured expression on his beautiful features, left the room.

Ren did not make an appearance for several days after that. Rumors spread on the ship that he had flown off on a secret mission in the middle of the night. Others said he was training in his rooms. No one really knew.

Hux missed his shadow. The feeling of Dark Force radiating from behind him had begun to feel like his own. He missed the heavy sound of footsteps in time with his own. Although the general was not by any means a small person, he felt lighter, smaller, without Ren nearby.

Ren now felt like some extension of his person. He cursed himself for letting this happen, for letting Ren get under his skin. After all, the Knight was only on the ship because he thought he had to be, not because he wanted to be.

A full week passed and Hux found himself standing at the entrance to Ren's quarters. It had been a particularly long and trying day and Hux was as much frustrated with the day as he was with himself for constantly wishing Ren were there to yell at people on his behalf some more.

Before he could so much as knock, the doors opened before him. Ren was standing at the back of the room, fully robed in his cloak and mask.

"General," Ren said with a small nod. "What brings you here?"

Hux tried to summon his anger but the now familiar weight of the Force and Ren's scent, permeating from every inch of the space, were too much of a relief for his words to carry their usual bite. "Do you intend to keep yourself locked up in here forever?"

Ren stared at him with a thoughtful tilt of his head before answering, "You ordered me to leave."

A swell of anger came over Hux without much effort this time, "And you were just going to stay in here until I told you otherwise?"

"Yes."

Ren's immediate answer threw Hux off guard. " _Why?_ The Force did not tell you to obey me."

He could hear Ren's smile in his response. "No, it did not. I chose to obey you."

Hux felt like the room was spinning. "Why?" he parroted again.

"Because you have a beautiful mind." Ren answered simply, as though he were talking about the weather. "Ordered and cruel. You leave no room for argument. So I chose to obey you."

"My mind?" Hux shook his head, eyebrows furrowed, "Ren, I don't understand, have you been reading my mind?"

"I tried to stay out of it." Ren confessed. "But when I returned your thoughts were so loud I couldn't ignore them. You didn't do it on purpose but you started calling out to me, opened your mind to me." Ren crossed the room to stand before Hux, "Don't you see? The Force has already bound us together."

"The Force again." Hux muttered with disdain. "Why does this always have to be about the damn Force."

Ren stared at Hux for a moment before answering. "The Force only solidifies the choices we make. I chose to obey you so it opened your thoughts and will to me." Ren's voice grew quiet. "Have you not felt it? The tie of the Force bringing you to me?"

Hux thought back on the past week. The uncharacteristic emptiness he felt without Ren's presence, his yearning for the charged feel of the Force, his desire for Ren's large hands to be in his again. These were all feelings he admitted he was capable of having. According to Ren, the Force had simply amplified them.

"So the Force 'bound us together' as you say, for what? Simply to make you stronger?"

"Not just me." Ren replied. "The vision of the Force also showed me your path to power. I can tell you, if you wish to know it."

Hux shook his head. "There are too many stories warning people against wanting to know or avoid their fates."

Ren nodded. "That is wise. However, this is not fated. You can choose to follow the advice of the Force or not."

Hux contemplated this for a moment before sighing in resignation. "By your smug attitude I can guess what the path is."

"Yes." Ren took one final step forward and drew the back of his gloved fingers slowly down Hux's cheek. "Just as you are the path to my true potential, I am the source of your true power."

Hux shuddered at his touch. "Will you really obey me? Will you really do as I say?"

Ren's immediate " _Yes_." sent another shiver down his spine.

"On your knees."

Ren fell gracelessly on the floor before him.

"Take off that stupid mask."

He pulled it off and threw it carelessly to the side. Hux felt his breath catch as he saw those bright eyes again, mind going blank.

They stared at each other for a few moments before Ren smiled. "You know, General," he whispered. "I can see into your mind freely now. I know all your desires." He leaned forward so his mouth hovered just over the bulge in Hux's pants. "I will gladly do anything you ask of me, you need only give the order."

Hux knew he was lost the moment he felt that sweet, warm breath fan over him. " _Fuck_ , Ren. Get up. I need you to undress me. Now."

Ren shot up, grabbed Hux's collar and tore it open with a growl, buttons flying everywhere. Normally, this disrespect towards his uniform would have earned Hux's ire, but he was too worked up in a frenzy to care at the moment, shuddering and shivering at each ghost of Ren's touch.

"Dammit Ren, _touch me_. No, not with your gloves. Aren't you supposed to know what I want? Take those wretched things off. Strip for me you insufferable Knight."

Ren did so, pulling off his cloak, robe, belt, eyes always on Hux. Why did they wear so many damn layers, Hux groaned. This was taking entirely _too long_. "Faster," he hissed and was pleased to see Ren double his efforts.

When they were both finally without clothes they stood and stared at each other for a while.

"Well?" Hux rasped. "You know what I want, aren't you going to do it?"

Ren didn't move.

"You're really going to make me say it?"

Ren smiled a sinfully mischievous grin.

"Dammit Ren. Fine. Touch me, kiss me, _fuck me_. Whatever you want. Just _do_ something." He pleaded.

Ren pounced forward and greedily wrapped his arms around him. They both moaned as their bodies melted together, Ren pulling him in closer and closer as though he wanted to grind their bones together. Hux managed a _Fuck yes_ before Ren pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. A moment later and Ren's tongue was becoming acquainted with his mouth in a way that made Hux weak in the knees. He clawed Ren's neck, back, hips, anything really to try to keep him upright.

Finally, Ren grabbed at his thighs and pulled Hux's long legs over his slim hips. Hux clamped his legs to Ren's sides and crossed his ankles, moaning at the increased friction the movement made. Ren watched him with a look of wonder before going back to doing beautiful things with his tongue that curled Hux's toes.

Hux pulled out of the kiss despite Ren's whimper of protest, watching the other man stare hungrily at his swollen lips. "Bed," Hux ordered between labored breaths. Ren nodded and slid his tongue between Hux's lips again as he walked them to his bed. He crawled on and with a significant look into the now dark gray eyes of his partner, lowered them both onto the mattress.

Hux stopped mid-moan when he noticed Ren dip his fingers into a floating jar at his side. "Is that _lubricant_?"

"Yes," Ren answered simply, making sure his fingers were coated in the substance.

"Is that something you normally have in your room? I thought Force users were forbidden from-"

Ren stared back.

Hux suddenly felt very stupid and very bare. "You anticipated this. You _planned_ this."

"I did." Ren answered smugly as he inserted a finger, watching with barely contained glee as Hux melted beneath him. "I've wanted this for a long time."

"I didn't realize," Hux panted, "that following a man… around a ship… all _ah_ day was your…preferred method of seduction."

"It worked on you, didn't it?" Ren practically sang as he added another finger.

"You're… completely… insufferable."

"Yes, you've said so before. But I'm _your_ insufferable Knight."

Hux stiffened, eyes somehow growing even darker as he whispered, "My…"

"Hux?"

The red head growled and with a surprising amount of strength, flipped their positions. He looked around and ground out in frustration, "Where is the lube?"

Ren shakily floated it over to him and watched Hux coat his hand. "Tell me you're mine."

"I'm yours." Ren rasped and was rewarded with Hux's slender fingers wrapping around his cock.

"Tell me you'll do as I say."

"Always." Hux starting moving his hand, coating Ren's length with the lubricant.

"What would you do for me?"

Ren groaned and gasped, "Anything. Everything. I would destroy _worlds_ for you."

Without another word, Hux lined Ren up at his entrance and sank down with a grateful moan.

He picked a pace and admired Ren from his new angle, "All mine."

"Only yours."

Hux swore. "Tell me you'll never let anyone else do this."

"No one else. I'm yours."

Hux hardly even knew what he was saying he was so far gone. "Tell me you'll do what I say."

Ren groaned as Hux ground down a little further on him, "I already did."

"Even over Snoke."

This gave Ren pause. Hux certainly never intended to bring _Snoke_ up of all things while he was fucking his pupil but now…

Hux frowned and increased his pace, raking his nails down hard over Ren's chest.

"I'm sorry," Hux began imperiously, "Who did the force say was the source of your true power? Me or Snoke?"

"You." Ren whimpered.

"Who do you obey?"

"You, my General, only you."

"Good." Hux purred. "Never forget it. You're mine now, I'll never let anyone else have you."

"Me too."

"What?" But it was too late; Ren had flipped them over so he was on top again, holding Hux's legs to his chest.

"I'll never let anyone else have you." Ren growled. Despite his harsh tone, he started up a slow pace, an adoring expression on his face. "I'll destroy anything that comes between us."

This wasn't how it was supposed to go, Hux thought. He envisioned a rapid pace, a purely physical interaction between them. But the way Ren was slowly fucking him made this dangerously close to something like making love.

"Ren…"

"No."

"What?"

"Not Ren. There are lots of 'Ren's. Kylo. There's only one Kylo."

Hux groaned, "Fine, _Kylo_ please-"

He didn't even need to finish the thought, Kylo pounding into him in a way that made him see stars.

Hux began to writhe, calling out to Kylo as a particularly deep thrust sent Hux over the edge. A few more thrusts led to Kylo's own undoing before he collapsed next to him.

Hux recovered first. "Is this what the Force had in mind?"

Kylo chuckled weakly. "No, we chose this. The Force merely implied that we would be stronger if we cooperated with one another instead of trying to kill each other."

Hux stared at Kylo wordlessly as the full implications of these words settled in. The Force only wanted them to get along. There was no cosmic pressure for him to be in bed with this man yet here he was, enjoying himself, already formulating plans for things he wanted to do next to Kylo's body, his _mouth_. It was so absurd and perfect that he dissolved into laughter.

Kylo smiled, immediately enraptured with the sound.


End file.
